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17th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Travel
The ancient city of Erzi

Erzi Tower Complex consists of eight military and several dozen residential towers. The height of some structures reaches 30 meters. Erzi translated into Russian means "eagle". According to one of the local legends, once the inhabitants of the village of Kerbita came to this place and cut down a tree. On it they saw an eagle's nest with chicks. So the settlement that appeared on this place was called Erzi. The eagle appears to have become a sacred bird to the local population.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 06.2019
Date Uploaded: 11.2019
Photo Location: Russia
Camera: NIKON D800E
Copyright: © Vladimir Ivanov